IMG Group debuts EUR 15 million circular polymer R&D platform in Portugal
SINES, Portugal — IMG Group has inaugurated the Everbio Innovation Hub at its industrial site in Portalegre, Portugal, marking a EUR 15 million investment in a circular polymer research and development platform that the company describes as a first-of-its-kind global industrial ecosystem for sustainable materials.
The hub, backed by financing from C2 Capital Partners, brings together the specialized capabilities of four IMG Group subsidiaries — Evertis, Selenis, Renascis and Renewis — under one roof. Evertis contributes expertise in PET-based packaging films, Selenis in specialty copolyester resins, Renascis in advanced multilayer recycling, and Renewis in renewable energy integration. The combined entity operates as what the group calls a “global industrial platform,” designed to bridge the traditional gap between laboratory innovation and industrial-scale production.
At the heart of the hub’s inaugural technology portfolio is perPETuity, a solvent-free delamination process developed by Evertis that converts complex multilayer plastic waste into PET flakes exceeding 99.9 percent purity — meeting food-contact and healthcare-grade standards. The technology addresses one of the most persistent challenges in packaging circularity: the recycling of multilayer structures that have historically been destined for incineration or landfill.
“For nearly 70 years, this group has built its industrial capabilities on a strong belief that materials should serve people and the planet across generations,” said Manuel Matos Gil, President of IMG Group. “Everbio is the next chapter: a hub where our polymer, packaging, recycling and renewable energy companies bring the circular economy from concept to industrial scale. We are proving, across polymers, packaging, recycling and renewable energy, that circular materials at industrial scale are no longer a future ambition; they are today’s reality.”
The launch arrives at a pivotal moment for European industry. The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) mandates that all packaging on the EU market be recyclable by 2030, with binding recycled content targets and rigorous traceability requirements. IMG Group positions Everbio as infrastructure that enables brands to meet these regulatory demands without sacrificing performance, integrating in-house testing and coextrusion capabilities at industrial scale.
Fred Schmuck, Chief Executive Officer of Alterra — which operates the group’s chemical recycling technology — emphasized the strategic rationale: “By combining proven technology, industrial expertise and a standardized delivery model, we’re helping reduce the barriers that have traditionally slowed the growth of chemical recycling. Together with our partners, we’re creating a more predictable and scalable pathway for transforming difficult-to-recycle plastics into valuable feedstocks for a circular economy.”
The Everbio Innovation Hub represents a shift from project-by-project engineering toward a productized, modular approach to circular polymer infrastructure — a model the company believes will accelerate deployment across the European market and beyond.
About IMG Group
IMG Group is a global leader in PET-based packaging films and specialty polyester resins, operating through subsidiaries Evertis, Selenis, Renascis and Renewis. The group combines polymer science, packaging engineering, advanced recycling and renewable energy to deliver circular material solutions for food, pharmaceutical and medical packaging markets.
Source: IMG Group press release via Recycling Today, 18 June 2026